Heading to work on the expresssway Monday I lifted and braked for my exit, the dash lights lit up and the engine just died.

I coasted into a parking lot and had it towed home.

I unplugged the MAF connector to see if it would run in limp in mode to no avail.

My next thought was fuel pump.

I mentioned it to my fried and the first words out of his mechanics mouth were TIMING BELT.

I turned it over at twice since it stopped to tray and restart it.

There is no clanging but it does sound "different".

If it is in fact the belt, how do I check for damage?

TIA, maybe SOL!!

I took off the cover today after work and can confirm it was the belt.

BUSTED!

I'm thinking of doing the valve replacement myself and read through the service manual procedure.

Lengthly yes but nothing I can't handle save for those darn "special tools".

Can anyone share their experience doing a 960 head R&R without using the volvo tools?

Can it be done?

Am I also looking at piston replacement which means yanking the engine?

AAArgh.

Timing belt, pump, MAF???? That is all guessing and is not the way to diagnose the problem. The only symptom you have given is that the car stopped, that is not enough info. What is mileage, when was belt last changed. If cam not turning then belt snapped. Only way to inspect for damage is to disassemble engine.

Easy to check if timing belt snapped. Just look into oil filler cap while assistant gives a short crank to the engine. Cam turning?


--
David Hunter

I can tell you from experience that when a timing belt breaks the only sound you hear is the sound made when you toss a small stone against a fan blade. The sound is so short in duration you might have missed it.

If the timing belt broken, when you try and start the engine, the engine will turn over very fast. If the engine turns over like normal then you have some other problem and you should thank you lucky stars.

As stated in the earlier post, the valves are trashed when the timing belt breaks. Pulling the head will reveal dents in the pistons. Just a sicken sight to be sure.

The only thing I have to add to what Rob said is to have it diagnosed before you jump to conclusions about the TB. I can't say for sure, but I suspect that if it was the belt that you would have heard some noise from the destruction going on.

It is certainly possible that it is electrical--some of the wiring to the fuel injectors located under the manifold is known to disintegrate, for example--check this link on the FAQs:
http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/960_90Info.htm#960EngineStallsandWontRestartWiringHarness

Hope this is what the problem is! Let us know...

Mike Brown
Greenville, NC
1996 965 94K
1986 244 137K

Anytime the belt breaks on a 960, there's damage. No two ways about it. If in fact you lost the belt, and not something electrical, you're in for a big bill. Sorry.
Cheapest route? Try to find a good used B6304 head from a junkyard. If you can't locate a wrecked 960 locally, try Erie Volvo.
http://www.erievovo.com/
(yes, that's spelled right).
If they don't have it, nobody does.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '86 244DL- 215K, 87 244DL- 230K, 88 744GLE- 198K, 91 244 180K